🌱 Taste Of East Cobb Winners + Swastika Drawing At Elementary

Hello, friends! It's me, Sean Peek, your host of the East Cobb Patch newsletter — here to tell you everything that's fit to print about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: Times of clouds and sun. High: 81 Low: 65.
• Friday: Partly sunny. High: 80 Low: 63.

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Attention music lovers! Don't miss out on The Roswell Music Festival, a one-day, ticketed event on Saturday May 20th. This exciting festival will take place in Historic Downtown Roswell, featuring six amazing bands, tent vendors, and local businesses serving up delicious food and drinks. You won’t want to miss original and tribute bands covering classic rock, soul, funk, country and blues music — including the incredible talents of GRAMMY®-nominated powerhouse Southern Avenue, End of the Line, Funk You, Frankly Scarlet, The Highwaymen Show, and TROY. Tickets are on sale now!

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Here are the top three stories today in East Cobb:

1. The Taste of East Cobb announced the winners of this year's event and has set a day for next year's event. The various award winners were voted on by the spectators at the event. The award for Best Taste went to Sterling Estates and Cafe Rivkah; Best Dessert went to Smallcakes and Vanilla Café e Gelato; and Kona Ice won the Highest Sales. The event organizers have announced that the next Taste of East Cobb will take place on May 4, 2024. (East Cobb News)
2. The Hamptons Apartments of East Cobb experienced a fire in February, displacing all 30 tenants and resulting in one fatality. The building's sprinkler system was found to be broken and had not been serviced recently, with 88 sprinkler heads needing replacement or cleaning, a fact that the management failed to disclose while continuing to lease units to new tenants. Vicky Alexander, who lost her brother in the fire, believes that if they had been aware of the broken sprinkler system, they would have moved out and her brother would still be alive today. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
3. A swastika drawing was found on a bathroom wall at Mt. Bethel Elementary in Cobb County, prompting concerns from the senior Rabbi of a nearby synagogue about the impact on children. The Rabbi discussed the matter with the school's principal, emphasizing the need to address hate and prevent its influence on students. The school district removed the anti-Semitic image, initiated an investigation, and disciplined the student responsible, although specific details were not disclosed due to privacy laws. (WSB Atlanta)

Today and tomorrow in and around East Cobb:

Thursday, May 11

• Beowulf (Gallery Exhibition) At Mable House Art Center, Mableton (8:00 AM)

Friday, May 12

• Metropolitan Ballet Theatre Presents "Coppelia" At Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Cobb Chamber announced its 2023 Small Business Award winners! Categories included top minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, and the business of the year. You can view the full list of recipients at the link. (Cobb Chamber via Facebook)
• The Towne Center Community is sponsoring a free six-week summer yoga program in Aviation Park! Sessions will be held every Saturday starting in June. Every session is capped at 50 participants, so registration for each session is required. (Cobb County Government)
• Today, May 11, the Cobb County government is having a public meeting about the Cobb Parkway/McCollum Parkway Realignment Scoping Study. Public input will be helpful in determining the existing traffic conditions and ways that it can be improved. You can attend the meeting in person at the Ben Robertson Community Center in nearby Kennesaw or online using the QR code at the link. (Cobb County Government via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• Here Comes the Sun: Music of the Beatles (May 12)
• Jennifer Hartswick Band with Cadillac Jones (May 12)
• Join SSC's Trail Blazers May walk at Powers Island (May 13)
• No Cost Boot Camp 4 Divorcing Women Workshop (May 13)
• You're Invited to a House Party! (May 13)
• Mother's Day BeltLine Food and Street Art Tour (May 13)
• Jupiter Coyote Playing Live! (May 13)
• a Jazzy Mother's Day Brunch & Show featuring CHRIS WILLIS (May 14)
• Maya Eventov Artist Show : Textures of Nature (May 20)
• Add your event

Featured gigs & services:

• Masonry work (Details)
• Add your gig or service

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll catch up with you soon with your next update.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.